Air India to Send Fuel Control Switch Module of AI132 to Boeing for Inspection

Air India will send the fuel control switch module from aircraft AI132 to Boeing for inspection, following a pilot-reported concern about a potential issue on Monday after operating London-Bengaluru flight.Sources

familiar with the matter told Times Now that the issue is limited to a specific component and does not affect the aircraft as a whole. The airline will replace the fuel control switch module on the aircraft, after which the removed component will be sent to the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Boeing, for detailed checks.Another source said the component has been used for less than 20% of its total service life. While the module is certified for 20,000 operating hours, it has logged only around 3,400 hours so far.As per sources the affected component will be replaced, and the aircraft will return to service while the component undergoes inspection by the OEM. Sources added that the aircraft in question is expected to be back in service soon.

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Air India took the decision to ground the aircraft that operated flight AI132 after a pilot reported an anomaly. “Left fuel control switch slips from run to cut off when pushed down slightly. It does not lock in its position,” the pilot said in the technical logbook.Earlier today airline's senior Vice President Manish Uppal had written to the airline's pilot operating Boeing 787 fleet.The letter reads:Dear Colleagues,Following the reported defect involving a Fuel Control Switch on one of our B787 aircraft, Engineering has escalated the matter to Boeing for priority evaluation.In the interim, while we await Boeing’s response, our engineers – out of abundance of caution - have initiated precautionary fleet-wide re-inspection of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) latch to verify normal operations. To date, no adverse findings have been reported on the aircraft for which this re-inspection is completed.We would also like to remind all crew to promptly report any defects observed during operations and to ensure that all required actions are completed prior to accepting the aircraft.Thank you for your continued professionalism and commitment to safe operations.

Air India is conducting inspections of fuel control switches in its fleet of 33 Boeing 787 aircraft after a reported malfunction during a flight from London Heathrow to Bengaluru.Sources aware with the matter told Times Now that over 30 Boeing 787 aircraft are there which are being re-inspected. Most of the re-inspection is done and nothing has been found so far. As the aircrafts are landed, the process of re-inspection is being done.